Process of rendering commercial salts non-deliquescent.



, at such temperature approximately 180 C SAMUEL PEAGGCK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

PRQGESS OF RENDERING COMMERCIAL SALTS NON-DELIQUESOENT.;

No Drawing,

To all whom may concern Be it known that l, SAMUEL Pnacoon, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of Kendering Commercial Salts Non-Deliquescent; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anld use the same.

This invention relates to a process of rendering commercial salts non-deliquescent, and has for its especial object to provide asimple and inexpensive method by which certain saltsof commerce may be prevented from absorbing moisture, and thereupon cor roding or otherwise injuring their containers during storage and shipping,

To these ends the invention consists in the novel steps constituting my process more fully hereinafter disclosed, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

As is well known, there are a number of commercial salts which are" deliquescent and normally moist only because they contain certain impurities that readily absorb water, the chemically pure salt being in itself nondeliquesoent. The impurities themselves, however, usually contain a'highly deliquescent salt, such as calcium chlorid or calcium nitrate, which cannot be wholly separated from the salt by only washing or other economical process-heretofore known, so they are at present allowed to remain with the salt. Examples of such salts are nitrate of sodium containing small amounts of calcium nitrate, magnesium sulfate and magnesium chlorid, which latter salts are very deliques cent, as well. as mono-calcium phosphate, containing small amounts of magnesium sul fate, Deliquescence is caused by the presence of these impurities, which, having a vapor pressure less than the pressure of water va or in the air underordinary conditions, s owly absorb water from the air.

According to my invention, I remedy this condition by treating the commercial salt thus contaminated with ammonia gas, and

so that no basic ammonia salts can exist,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 17, 1911. Serial No. 633,838

Patented Nov. 21, Elli,

By this treatment deliquescent nitrate of calcium becomes nitrate of ammonia and calcium hydrate, magnesium chlorid becomes pure ammonium chlorid. and magnesium hydrate, and calciumchlorid becomes pure ammonium chlorid and calcium hydrate. There are atmospheric conditions under which these latter compounds may absorb water from the air, but they are of such rare occurrence, that the solid phase is practi cally constantly maintained.

In practice, I prefer to pass the crude salts rendered as dry as convenient and heated to about 180 C., through an atmosphere of ammonia gas, contained in a suitable closed vessel provided with stirrers so thatthe gas may reach every p' rticle of the salt. The deliquescent salts present are thus converted into ammonium salts and stable hydrates. This case it will be seen deals with salt impurities and -differs from my copending application No. 633,835, filed June 17, 1911 and entitled process of rendering commercial salts non-corrosive in that said latter application deals with impurities containing a free acid.

IV hat I claim is 1. The process of rendering commercial salts composed of non-deliquescent compounds nnxed with impurities containing deliquescent salts non-deliqucscent as awhole which consists in subjecting said commercial salts tothe action of ammonia gas while ata temperature which prevents the formation of basic ammonia salts, substantially as described.

2. The process of rendering non-deliquescent as a whole commercial salts composed of non-deliquescent constituents mixed with impurities containing deliquescent. salts, which consists in heating said commercial salts to a temperature of substantially 180 C., and while stirring the same subjecting them to the action of ammonia gas, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, afiix my signa-- ture, in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL PEACOGK,

Witnesses:

EDWAR L BASH, S HANNA. 

